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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Child Rights According to PD 603

The Rights of Every Child

All children shall be entitled to the rights herein set forth without distinction as to legitimacy or illegitimacy, sex, social status, religion, political antecedents, and other factors.

(1) Every child is endowed with the dignity and worth of a human being from the moment of his conception, as generally accepted in medical parlance, and has, therefore, the right to be born well.

(2) Every child has the right to a wholesome family life that will provide him with love, care and understanding, guidance and counseling, and moral and material security.

The dependent or abandoned child shall be provided with the nearest substitute for a home.

(3) Every child has the right to a well-rounded development of his personality to the end that he may become a happy, useful and active member of society.

The gifted child shall be given opportunity and encouragement to develop his special talents.

The emotionally disturbed or socially maladjusted child shall be treated with sympathy and understanding, and shall be entitled to treatment and competent care.

The physically or mentally handicapped child shall be given the treatment, education and care required by his particular condition.

(4) Every child has the right to a balanced diet, adequate clothing, sufficient shelter, proper medical attention, and all the basic physical requirements of a healthy and vigorous life.

(5) Every child has the right to be brought up in an atmosphere of morality and rectitude for the enrichment and the strengthening of his character.

(6) Every child has the right to an education commensurate with his abilities and to the development of his skills for the improvement of his capacity for service to himself and to his fellowmen.

(7) Every child has the right to full opportunities for safe and wholesome recreation and activities, individual as well as social, for the wholesome use of his leisure hours.

(8) Every child has the right to protection against exploitation, improper influences, hazards, and other conditions or circumstances prejudicial to his physical, mental, emotional, social and moral development.

(9) Every child has the right to live in a community and a society that can offer him an environment free from pernicious influences and conducive to the promotion of his health and the cultivation of his desirable traits and attributes.

(10) Every child has the right to the care, assistance, and protection of the State, particularly when his parents or guardians fail or are unable to provide him with his fundamental needs for growth, development, and improvement.

(11) Every child has the right to an efficient and honest government that will deepen his faith in democracy and inspire him with the morality of the constituted authorities both in their public and private lives.

(12) Every child has the right to grow up as a free individual, in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, tolerance, and universal brotherhood, and with the determination to contribute his share in the building of a better world.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

ChildLabor: one of the Probems in Lanao del Sur!


Child Labor is one of the many concerns in the province of Lanao del Sur particularly Marawi City and, most disturbingly one of the most rampant problems we face here in Lanao. We are all aware that every child has the right to the most basic necessities like a healthy environment, formal education that they will be using as they are going to treasure the will of the Almighty God, and most importantly a family that cares and confronts. Yet, hunger hinders the child to do any of these basic necessities and forces labor in farming fields, selling cellophane in Padian, collecting fare in the Public vehicles, working in the different houses as maids, driving pedicabs, selling different fruits, vegetables and fishes in the different streets of Marawi and peddling in the busy and dangerous streets of the City.

The minimum age for employment in the Philippines is 15 years of age (Child Protection Act of 1992 and RA 9658 amended act 7650) by prohibiting children below 15 years old to work except when family run business.

While the Basic laws are in place, there is this lack of an effective mechanism on the part of our government administrator and law enforcers to constantly monitor and implement the child labor laws (http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL?TOPICS